Hearts & Smiles

And Happy Valentine’s Day !  I haven’t fallen that far deep into cynicism that I can’t appreciate today for what it is – a day to acknowledge the people in your life who share a part of your heart.   Great day : full of hearts and smiles and Valentine Cards of the (hopefully) traditional but sometimes non- traditional variety.

For a few years now, I’ve been missing a card from someone who qualifies as a non – traditional sender:  My Dad.  My Dad made up for his lack of demonstrative sweetness and affection by being uber – sentimental and the best of this came out on Valentine’s Day.  He’d buy me a plant (saving the roses for my mom, of course, and never going the fresh flower route because they were already dead and just a waste of money), something potted and flowering, accompanied by an amazing card.  The card was picked with care (and I know this after having watched in awe as he spent what seemed like hours in Hallmark choosing just the perfect one for other occasions) and written with conviction.  He was such a perfectionist - God forbid his personalized note was lopsided or angled – so out came the ruler along with the pen.  The script was pretty much the same every year:  To my Olga, I Love You, Your Dad.  XXOO, written so hard the indentations of the writing could be felt on the other side of the card.  To my Olga, I Love You, Your Dad XXOO – concise, straightforward and perfect – just like him.

Sure, this all may seem a little corny but in a life where we’re so often questioning everything and where we stand within that everything the sheer consistency and rock solidness of this gesture, of this knowing that no matter what goes on with the craziness of it all “To my Olga, I Love You, Your Dad XXOO” would never ever change says more than the actual words do.  I miss that.  I miss him.  It’s funny, as time passes it is little things like this that I remember and they make me wistful and, of course, sad but they also make me smile.  Smile with all my heart.

XXOO to you, too, Dad.